Effects of Candesartan on Cough and Bronchial Hyperresponsiveness in Mildly to Moderately Hypertensive Patients With Symptomatic Asthma

Background Candesartan, an AT1 receptor antagonist, has been reported to have no association with persistent cough in subjects with hypertension, but there has been no study on the safety of its administration to hypertensive patients with symptomatic asthma. The aim of this study was to compare the adverse effects of candesartan and calcium antagonists on cough, pulmonary function, and bronchial hyperresponsiveness in these patients. Methods and Results Sixty mildly to moderately hypertensive patients with bronchial asthma received either candesartan (n=30) or the calcium antagonists nifedipine or manidipine (n=30) for 6 months. The candesartan group included 5 subjects with a history of ACE inhibitor–induced cough. There were no differences between the 2 groups in patient characteristics, ACE gene polymorphism, pulmonary function, or bronchial hyperresponsiveness to methacholine. Control of hypertension was the primary end point; new cough detected by self-administrated questionnaire and an increase in ...